Rev Dr Richard Conrad OP
Official Fellow, Lector, Member of the Aquinas Institute
Fr Richard was the Director of the Aquinas Institute from 2014 until 2020, prior to which he was the Vice-Regent of Studies at Blackfriars. He is a member of the Faculty of Theology, University of Oxford, and an examiner for the MTh degree of the University of Oxford.
Fr Richard holds a license in dogmatic theology from the Angelicum in Rome. He teaches dogmatic and sacramental theology in the Studium, and used also to teach at the Maryvale Institute, Birmingham, where for 10 years he directed an MA in Catholic Theology. He has also been external examiner for the BA in Fundamental Catholic Theology taken by students of St Mary’s College, Oscott.
Before joining the Dominicans in 1979, Fr Richard obtained a PhD in chemistry at the University of Cambridge. During his time in the Order he has been Novice Master, Prior of Cambridge (twice), Prior and Parish Priest in Leicester, and Provincial Promoter of the Lay Dominicans. He has served as a member of the Liturgical Formation Sub-Committee of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
Publications:
Besides course books for Maryvale on the Holy Trinity, Soteriology, Original Sin, Grace, Sacraments, Eschatology, and Philosophical Cosmology, and a commentary on two Encyclicals of Pope John Paul II, Fr Richard has written the following:
The Catholic Faith: a Dominican’s Vision. London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1994.
“Science and Faith.” In: John Redford (ed.) Hear, O Islands: Theology and Catechesis in the New Millennium. Dublin: Veritas, 2002. Pages 50-70.
“Our Faith” – weekly articles on the Catholic Faith. The Scottish Catholic Observer, 2003 to 2006.
The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. London: CTS, 2009.
“Moments and Themes in the History of Apologetics.” In: Andrew Davison (ed.) Imaginative Apologetics: Theology, Philosophy and the Catholic Tradition. London: SCM, 2011. Pages 126-141.
“St. Thomas on Christ’s Passion and Resurrection as Efficient and Exemplar Causes: How This Concept Helps us Read Scripture and Preach Christ.” Angelicum 91 (2014) pages 167-205.
“Wisdom and Sonship.” In: Harm Goris, Lambert Hendriks & Henk Schoot (eds.) Faith, Hope and Love: Thomas Aquinas on Living by the Theological Virtues. Leuven: Peeters, 2015. Pages 283-305.
“Human Practice and God’s Making-Good in Aquinas’ Virtue Ethics.” In: David Carr, James Arthur and Kristján Kristjánssons (eds.) Varieties of Virtue Ethics. London: Palgrave-Macmillan, 2017. Pages 163-179.
“Humanity Created for Communion with the Trinity in Aquinas.” In: George Westhaver (ed.) A Transforming Vision: Knowing and Loving the Triune God. London: SCM, 2018. Pages 121-134.
“Catholic Sacramental Theology” and “Eucharistic Theology”. In: Peter McGrail and Martin Foster (eds.) SCM Study Guide to Catholic Liturgy. London: SCM, 2018. Pages 55-79 and 160-185.
“The Holy Trinity as Source of Human Dignity and Destiny according to St Thomas Aquinas.” In: John Loughlin (ed.) Human Dignity in the Judaeo-Christian Tradition: Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant Perspectives. London: Bloomsbury, 2019. Pages 79-98.
“The Rational Animal and Modern Science: The Research Context of the Papers.” New Blackfriars 100 (2019) pages 627-644. [Introduction to an issue Fr Richard part-edited on “The Rational Animal: Aquinas Institute Papers.”]
“Aquinas on the Unfolding of Law” and “The Tasks of Human Lawgivers: The Torah as Exemplar.” Law and Justice: The Christian Law Review No. 183 (Trinity/Michaelmas 2019) pages 118- 133 and 155-175.
[With Peter Hunter, OP.] “Why Aquinas Would Agree That Human Economic Behaviour Is Largely Predictable.” P. Z. Róna and László Zsolnai (eds.) Agency and Causal Explanation in Economics. Cham: Springer, 2020. Pages 93-113. [Open access publication.]
[With Nicholas Paul Crowe, OP.] “Unum Necessarium: Gerald Vann’s Unifying Thomistic Vision.” New Blackfriars 102 (2021) pages 728-744.
“What Can the Roman Catholic Liturgies of the Dead Offer Mourners: Solidarity with the Deceased and Hopeful Protest?” In: Miko?aj S?awkowski-Rode (ed.) The Meaning of Mourning: Perspectives on Death, Loss, and Grief. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2023. Pages 33-56.
For anything to do with the Aquinas Institute: aquinas@bfriars.ox.ac.uk